The success of Super Bowl LVIII has had a positive impact on the NBA All-Star Weekend, with an executive from Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT’s parent company, announcing that its commercial spots are nearly sold out.
“On the heels of a record-breaking Super Bowl. We think that this should be a record-breaking All-Star weekend,” Jon Diament, executive VP for ad sales at Warner Bros. Discovery, said in an interview with Broadcasting+Cable.
“That all adds up to being sold out completely for Saturday and virtually sold out for Sunday,” he added.
The NBA All-Star Weekend will be broadcasted by TNT on February 16-19, which includes the Rising Stars Game, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and the 73rd All-Star Game between the East and West teams.
There will also be an alternate telecast on truTV and digital and streaming content on Bleacher Report and B/R Sports on Max.
The NBA All-Star Weekend is one of the most popular sporting events in America, and it is expected to attract a large television audience, making it a valuable platform for advertisers to reach a wide range of consumers.
While last season's All-Star viewership decreased by 27%, ad sales remained strong, leading to the nearly sold-out inventory for this year's event. Ad prices have also increased, though not significantly.
“Live sports continue to be highly sought after by sponsors and we’re sold out,” Diament said about live event sponsors.
“These advertisers don’t want to run a commercial. They want to activate throughout the whole weekend, whether it’s through events, social media, or creative opportunities like on-court signage or being affiliated with athletes to take advantage of these cultural moments,” he explained.
Some of the major sponsors for the All-Star Weekend include Nike, Kia, State Farm, Ruffles, and AT&T.